music – Make 'Em Laughhttp://www.pbs.org/wnet/makeemlaugh
The hilarious men, women, and moments in American entertainment and why they made us laugh.Wed, 11 Nov 2015 15:46:11 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1Best of the Best: Michael McKean on Christopher Guesthttp://www.pbs.org/wnet/makeemlaugh/episodes/best-of-the-best/michael-mckean-on-christopher-guest/19/
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/makeemlaugh/episodes/best-of-the-best/michael-mckean-on-christopher-guest/19/#disqus_threadTue, 02 Dec 2008 16:01:08 +0000http://www.pbs.org/wnet/makeemlaugh/video/interviews/best-of-the-best-michael-mckean-on-christopher-guest/19/The post Best of the Best: Michael McKean on Christopher Guest appeared first on Make 'Em Laugh.
]]>Michael McKean talks about Christopher Guest and This is Spinal Tap.

Michael McKean: Rock and roll takes itself very seriously. It can. It shouldn’t. I mean, the people I’m attracted to like you know, the songwriters, especially Tom Waits and- and They Might Be Giants and Richard Thompson and Elvis Costello, Loudon Wainwright. These are all people who are capable of breaking your heart, but they’re also practitioners in the- in the other- in the other thing. I think all great songwriters can do both. Randy Newman, he can tear your heart out, but he can also write a really, really funny song. Noel Coward, same thing. But there is something about the self-importance of this kind of bubble mentality. I mean, when bands are on the road and you know, doing what they do, and making money, and- and scoring chicks and- and doing all this stuff, they don’t rea- really reference anything else in the world except themselves. They’re living in this kind of tunnel. And I think that Chris- the- the films that Chris has done subsequent to “Spinal Tap” all have that in common. You know, little theatre and the dog show and the- and the you know, the- the folk concert, it- it- it’s all about people taking themselves very seriously. You know, if you’re not riding high, then your fall’s not amusing. You know? That’s why I- I- I’ve always felt that the idea of getting a laugh by trashing someone who’s beneath you is- it doesn’t appeal to me. It’s- it’s kind of easy, you know?

]]>http://www.pbs.org/wnet/makeemlaugh/episodes/best-of-the-best/michael-mckean-on-christopher-guest/19/feed/4Best of the Best: Joan Benny about Jack Benny and his Violinhttp://www.pbs.org/wnet/makeemlaugh/episodes/best-of-the-best/joan-benny-about-jack-benny-and-his-violin/16/
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/makeemlaugh/episodes/best-of-the-best/joan-benny-about-jack-benny-and-his-violin/16/#disqus_threadWed, 26 Nov 2008 19:01:05 +0000http://www.pbs.org/wnet/makeemlaugh/video/interviews/best-of-the-best-joan-benny-great-lines/16/The post Best of the Best: Joan Benny about Jack Benny and his Violin appeared first on Make 'Em Laugh.
]]>Joan Benny talks about Jack Benny and his violin.

Joan Benny: My father was a very good friend of Harry Truman, when Harry Truman was in the White House. And my father went to visit him. And they used to play duets, cause Truman played the piano. And they loved to play duets together. So my father goes to the White House, and he’s carrying his violin case, and he gets there, and the guard – security, of course, says, “Mr. Benny, I hate to ask you this but I have to. What are you carrying in that case? And my father to be funny said, “a machine gun.” And the guard said, “Oh thank God, I thought it might be your violin.”